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Friday, August 7, 2015

Last night we went to a tasting of Braddock's new, French inspired summer menu. It was a preview of some of the dishes you could enjoy at Chef Shaffer'sChef’s Table Dinner that will be held on Thursday, August 13. The four course dinner will include a Chef’s welcome and is priced at $40 which includes appetizer, salad, entree and dessert, with optional wine pairing available for an additional $25.We both like Braddock's a lot and these new items made us want to return soon.

Here's what we tasted:

Huitres: East Coast Oysters, Citrus Mignonette, Hot Pepper Jam served on a bed of salt. The oysters were plump & juicy and the hot pepper jam wasn't too hot/spicy.

Tuna Tartare: Avocado, Preserved Radish, Harissa Orange Mignonette. I do not eat raw fish, but it's one of SP's favorite things and he thought this dish was fantastic. I did try the super thin & crispy cracker. SP said there was just a hint of harissa and the radishes were very thinly sliced.

“Tasty” Duck A L’Orange: Roasted Cauliflower, Fava Beans, Candied Orange, Bourbon Orange Glaze. I love roasted cauliflower so I thought this dish was terrific. I like duck, too, and turns out I especially like duck with bourbon & orange flavor. Chef Shaffer told us he makes the stock from crushed duck bones and then strain it through a coffee filter to get all the bones out.

Bouillabaisse Rouille: Walleye, Mussels, Shrimp, Potato, Rainbow Carrot, Celery, Grilled Bread. The crostini had a delicious rouille of bread, roasted garlic, oil, and herbs. I ate just a bit in case the garlic bothered me, but gosh it was tasty! The seafood was very good, too, a hint of curry and saffron flavor in the broth.

I took 10+ photos of thisPot-Au-Feu: Six-Hour Brisket, Potato, Spring Vegetable Fricassee, Jus and for some reason, they were all awful. This was the best of the bunch. Maybe it was the dark mini skillet? The shiny sauce on the brisket? Whatever it was, I was happy to stop taking photos and dig in because it was delicious. Little bits of asparagus, peas, carrot, parsnip, potato. My favorite. If I read my scrawled notes correctly, Chef Shaffer braises 200 lbs of brisket at a time and gives each vegetable it's own treatment for best flavor and then adds them all to finish the dish (not like when we braise at home and toss everything in the pot at the same time!).

Grilled Chicken Basil Pesto Risotto: Ricotta Cheese, Lemon Zest, Tomato Fondue, Coddled Egg, Snow. The coddled egg mixes in to add creaminess. This had a nice lemon flavor and the chicken was a bit peppery which went well with the lemon flavor.

Dessert: Peach Cobbler “PIE”rogi: (August’s ‘Pierogi of the Month’ feature) Peach Cobbler Filling, Mascarpone Whipped Cream, Cinnamon Ice Cream, Warm Bourbon Caramel Drizzle. This dish is a whole lot of flavors I love. Chef Shaffer said the peach filling is his grandmother's recipe. I would go back just to have this dessert. Many thanks to Chef Shaffer & Kristen for inviting us to enjoy this delicious food. If you haven't yet tried Braddock's you should - and the Chef's Table Dinner next Thursday sounds like a great time to do so!